Jayanti (Hinduism)

Jayanti (जयन्ती, ) is a character in Hindu mythology. She is the daughter of Indra, the king of the devas and the ruler of Svarga, and his consort, Shachi.

Jayanti is described as the wife of Shukra, the god of the planet Venus and the guru of the asuras. Their union results in the birth of a daughter, Devayani. Jayanti is also described as the sister of Jayanta. She is sometimes identified with Urjjasvati, Shukra's another wife.

Literature
Jayanti appears primarily in the description of one event, the tale of her marriage with Shukra. The tale is retold in many Hindu scriptures with some variations as per the interpretations. The texts include the Vayu Purana, the Matsya Purana, the Brahmanda Purana, the Devi Bhagavata Purana, and the Padma Purana.

Legend
The Matsya Purana narrates that the asuras were almost decimated in battle with the devas. Their guru, Shukra, goes to Mount Kailash to please the god Shiva and acquire new powers to revive the asuras from doom. Shukra performs severe tapas (austerities). The devas try to destroy the remaining asuras and their refuge by Shukra's mother, Kavyamata. But after the murdered Kavyamata is resurrected, Indra, the king of the devas, becomes worried that with Shukra's success the asuras will regroup and attack again. He sends his daughter Jayanti to serve Shukra and to do anything possible to the advantage of Indra.

In the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Indra orders Jayanti to entice the sage to disturb his austerities. Jayanti is displeased with her father's methods, but still goes to Kailash to honour his orders. At Kailash, she becomes an attendant of Shukra and serves him faithfully. She fans him with a banana leaf, gathers cool fragrant water for him to drink, and collects fresh flowers and darbha grass for his worship. She also stands in the heat and uses her upper garment to offer shade to the sage. She prepares a warm bed for him to sleep in and fans him until he falls asleep. She also speaks sweet words to please the sage. She serves him like a dutiful disciple and disregards her father's instructions to break Shukra's penance.

In the Matsya Purana, Jayanti follows her father's orders. After a thousand years, Shiva appears before Shukra and grants him the powers he desired. A pleased Shukra talks to Jayanti and promises to grant her a reward for her services. On her request, he marries her and spends time with her for ten years. Shukra creates a shell of magic so that they become invisible to the world and remain undisturbed. In other versions, Jayanti requests Shukra to create a haze around them so their lovemaking is hidden from the world. The Padma Purana extends the period to a hundred years, instead of ten.

After ten years, Shukra is free from his promise and Jayanti allows him to go visit his disciples, the demons. The Matsya Purana and the Brahmanda Purana relate that couple's union produces a daughter called Devayani. The Hindu epic Mahabharata, which recalls a detailed account of Devayani's life, mentions that she is the daughter of Jayanti. However, the Devi Bhagavata Purana disagrees and portrays her as a daughter of Urjjasvati, another wife of Shukra.